Deathloop provides players with an exciting twist on the time loop trope in video games but fails to deliver a satisfactory conclusion in any of the three possible endings. Each ending requires players to accomplish different tasks throughout their playthroughs, but only one brings about a (slightly) happy ending for Colt. Unfortunately, many nuances introduced throughout Deathloop's story campaign, side quests, and secrets are inconsequential at the game's conclusion. This leaves the many tasks, stories, and strategies carried out during playthroughs without a significant payoff and makes Deathloop's ending an unfortunate disappointment.
[Warning - spoilers for all of Deathloop's endings follow.]
Deathloop takes place on Blackreef, where players control Colt, an amnesiac trapped in a time loop on an island filled with hostile doomsday preppers (Eternalists). As Colt experiences the same day over and over again, he begins regaining his memories and formulating a path to escape. Unfortunately, Colt's urge to break the loop isn't shared with the island's inhabitants. The Blackreef overseers of Deathloop, known as Visionaries, attempt to halt Colt's progress by killing him before he kills them, through the use of various traps or private armies. Additionally, players can play as Julianna and invade other worlds to defeat Colt and protect Blackreef's time loop.
While some fans may be disappointed with Deathloop's endings, it matches the game's bleak setting and narrative. Like Dishonored, it's impossible to obtain perfect endings for any of Blackreef's inhabitants. However, a perfect, happy ending wouldn't have fit with Deathloop's narrative anyway. While it's possible to make a game with an unhappy ending feel fulfilling, Deathloop's ending pales in comparison to its thrilling gameplay and campaign missions. Thankfully, the game's less than stellar ending is no reason to avoid purchasing it and experiencing its entertaining mechanics and compelling narrative.
Deathloop's Endings Create A Hollow, Disappointing Feeling
Deathloop has three endings: the good, bad, and hidden. Players who choose to Break the Loop experience the true "good" ending to Deathloop, where Blackreef and its inhabitants are freed from the time loop. Unfortunately, the world appears to have crumbled during the centuries and reached an irreversible state of decay. The icebergs and pristine sky once surrounding Blackreef are corrupted, suggesting Colt's urge to free his daughter from a meaningless existence has doomed her to a slow death. Deathloop's hidden ending isn't much better, as players must kill Julianna and mull around the final arena until the loop resets once more. This ending is far more underwhelming than the other options, forcing Colt to repeatedly live through the time loop, knowing he's unable to defeat Deathloop's final Visionary. Players that preserve the loop and follow Julianna's advice embrace the endless cycle of murder and chaos. While the final ending may seem twisted, it's the only ending that sees any chance at happiness between the father and daughter. Unfortunately, preserving the loop also violates all of Colt's previous values.
While Deathloop's multiple endings allow players to make each playthrough unique and continue the game's pattern of encouraging unique solutions and strategies, each ending fails to encompass a satisfying conclusion to Colt and Julianna's journey. There are no options for Colt to make peace with any of the Visionaries besides Julianna. There's also no way to fix the amnesiac effect of Deathloop's time loop experiment and no solutions to prevent the many crimes and injustices committed against the Visionaries' private armies. Additionally, the game's several endings feature sparse buildup, giving Colt few reasons to do anything other than break the loop.
With the "good" ending and hidden ending arguably the most unsatisfying, the buildup to Colt's reconciliation with Julianna is also disappointing. Players who discover the secret connection between the playable characters receive some strained dialogue, but Julianna's unhinged goals and Colt's selfish nature prevents much progress from being made. If Deathloop had more buildup to its multiple endings, the endgame journey would have been much more impactful. Instead, players are left scrambling for answers from the moment they first wake up on Blackreef's beach to the moment they are given the Dishonored dueling pistol.
Deathloop's Stories Don't Contribute To A Bigger Picture
While Deathloop is straightforward with its primary objective, the game is home to a collection of side quests that further develop Colt, Julianna, the Visionaries, and other Blackreef inhabitants throughout the island. Some investigations expand on Blackreef's time loop and the nature of the amnesiac side effects. Players can even meet another Blackreef citizen who's aware of the time loop's effects: Pick Rexly. Additionally, side missions allow Colt to learn more about Blackreef's hidden laboratories and experiments. These moments help players understand Deathloop's humorously confusing time loop and offer startling revelations that fill Blackreef's bleak world. Unfortunately, these quests have little payoff in Deathloop's bigger picture.
Despite understanding the relationship between Colt and Julianna, Pick Rexly, and the backstories of the Visionaries, these don't affect the primary outcome of the game. No character appears in the ending aside from Colt and Julianna. It's unknown how many supporting characters understand Deathloop's situation or how many support Colt's views. In addition, many of the Visionaries don't understand the amnesiac side effect of Blackreef's time loop, and there's no opportunity for side quests to convince them otherwise or affect the greater outcome. While Deathloop's story and run-based gameplay are good, the lack of continuity between their accomplishments and Deathloop's larger narrative is disappointing.
Deathloop Doesn't Provide A Unique Ending For Julianna
Players can choose between Colt and Julianna when playing Deathloop, which results in extremely different gameplay experiences. Playing as Julianna launches the multiplayer mode, allowing players to invade other worlds and defeat the local Colt. This is just one of the many ways Deathloop increases its replayability, encouraging PvP through unique and enticing gameplay methods. Julianna is a wildly different character than Colt, intent on making the most of her eternal life on Blackreef by embracing the murderous chaos. She is one of the few characters in Deathloop aware of the time loop's glitch and has continued developing different strategies to maintain her sanity during everlasting life. Unfortunately, players who 'win' with Julianna aren't able to access a new ending. Julianna Blake is Deathloop's most vibrant character, and the lack of a dedicated storyline sabotages the urge to spend more time with her.
When playing Julianna, players achieve "victory" by killing the local Colt in the invaded instance. However, Julianna can be defeated if Colt escapes, defeats their invader, or turns off their internet connection. While Blackreef has several locations, time zones, and strategies to use when hunting Colt, the process can become repetitive. Some Julianna players tried helping Colt in Deathloop, but this meant sabotaging themselves. Instead of restricting all storylines to Colt's playthrough, Deathloop could have significantly benefited from a unique storyline in Julianna's mode. Like Colt's change of heart in the Preserve the Loop ending, Deathloop's Julianna could assist Colt in breaking the loop and experience more character development.
Deathloop's unsatisfactory endings aren't enough to ruin the experience of the game, but Arkane Studios could improve the title with more endgame content and impactful choices. The roguelike experience thankfully removed RNG from loop-to-loop progressions, keeping Blackreef's inhabitants on regular schedules and encouraging players to evolve their strategies. While Deathloop's endings can be disappointing, the journey to its conclusion is an exciting adventure for both Colt and Julianna.
Deathloop is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC.